Duroc pig breed: description and characteristics, conditions of detention, breeding

Pigs of the elite Duroc breed are bred for marbled meat. In it, fatty layers are evenly distributed in muscle tissues. Due to the nature of the content of this breed, it is more profitable to breed it in the warm southern regions of the Russian Federation, in Siberia there are also farmers who grow Duroc pigs.

History of the Duroc pig breed

For this breed, you need to thank the farmers of America and the settlers who brought pigs to the continent from different parts of the world. In the era of colonization, emigrants, coming to the United States, brought with them all kinds of domestic animals.There was a lot of genetic material. The breeding base of the breed was red-skinned pigs, imported from West Africa, and their relatives, who came from Europe. The descendants of modern Durocs lived in England and the French provinces. Breed selection took place spontaneously at the discretion of the farmers.

Thanks to her, a late-ripening breed called Jersey appeared in New Jersey, and early-ripening Duroc breed in New York State. When crossing animals of these varieties, a purebred hybrid was obtained.

Back in 1883, the Duroc-Jersey breed was officially registered and classified as greasy. All subsequent selection was aimed at improving the quality of meat. Now the breed has a single name Duroc, it is considered meat, it is grown on an industrial scale in Europe, China and at home in the USA.

Description and characteristics

It is not difficult to recognize Duroc pigs by their original skin color and ears hanging over their eyes. In animals, not only the skin is brown, the bristles are also colored, its color repeats the golden brown skin tones. The color is uneven, spotted, there are no light tans of white color.

External characteristics

Sows and adult boars have a massive, proportional body, legs are straight, stable, with pronounced hams, the head is large with a peculiar profile, it is smoothly concave. Long hanging ears partially cover medium-sized brown eyes.

The skin is covered with coarse medium length bristles. In piglets and females, it is lighter and does not grow as densely as in boars. On the patches, the skin is dark, almost black, with a slight bluish tinge.

Weight and dimensions

Normally strong constitution. Dryness and friability are considered a deviation from accepted breed standards. Pigs are tall, legs are long, the back is flat or with a small hump (arched). Round chest is wide.

Sow175240

Gender	Torso length (cm)	Weight (kg)
Boar	185	320

Newborn piglets weigh 1.1-1.6 kg.

Productivity

Precocity of offspring 165 days. With an average daily gain of 700-950 g, fattening piglets are kept for up to six months. By 6 months, the total weight of young animals reaches 100 kg. High precocity is the genetic characteristics of the breed plus good maintenance, abundant feeding and a balanced diet. Meaning

Killer exit75-76%Lean meat yield57%Fat thickness14-16mm, on spine up to 18mm

A suckling pig of the Duroc breed gains 300 g per day. By the time of weaning, the average weight of the young is 14-17 kg.

Pros and cons

The second largest number of livestock in the world does not allow doubting the merits of the breed, but Duroc pigs also have disadvantages.

Dietary properties and special taste of meatIn the northern regions, the cost of keeping pigs increases, most of the time the animals spend in the pigsty Calm disposition, adults do not show aggressionProductivity is 100% dependent on diet, decreases sharply if low protein in feedSows have a well-developed maternal instinct, which simplifies the care of newborn offspringProne to rhinitis

Breed Advantages	Breed Disadvantages
Economically beneficial in warm climates, the animals are on the round the clock	Low fertility - a maximum of 20 piglets per year, instead of 30, as in other breeds

Animal conditions

Duroc breed is economically profitable to breed in regions with a warm climate. As long as the average daily air temperature does not fall below 10 °C, pigs are kept on pasture. Under natural conditions, animals actively move (this improves the quality of meat), find additional food.

In the summer, paddocks are equipped with sheds, where the pigs escape from the intense heat. To prevent overheating, skin and other diseases, bathing places in liquid mud are arranged. In winter, Duroc pigs need dry bedding. They burrow into it at night and during the day while resting. When kept in a pigsty, one adult animal needs a space of 5 m².

Feeding Features

In order for piglets to quickly gain weight, they are given feed containing protein. The diet includes dairy products and flour of animal origin (bone, fish, blood).In summer they feed 2 times, in winter 3 times. For 1 kg of growth, 4 feed units are consumed. Duroc High Protein Diet Basis:

• legumes;
• silo;
• potato;
• food waste;
• buttermilk;
• serum;
• back;
• beets.

The percentage of oats, barley, corn in the feed is low. Cereal crops contribute to an increase in the layer of fat, this worsens the quality of meat, reduces its yield. When it is economically profitable, farmers prepare the feed themselves, otherwise the young animals are fattened with specialized compound feed.

Breeding

It is unprofitable to breed the Duroc breed for sale due to the low fertility of sows. In one offspring there are only 8-10 piglets, for a year one sow brings from 16 to 20 cubs. Farmers mate sexually mature individuals to increase the size of their herd.

The rut lasts 2 days, the boar is run into the pen to the sow twice. If the mating was successful, after 15 and a half weeks the sow gives birth. During pregnancy, she is given proper conditions:

• fresh air (open paddock);
• fortified nutrition;
• a separate stall in the final terms.

The viability of Duroc piglets is high. 93-95% of all offspring survive. Sows have little milk, so young animals are first fed with cow's milk, then they begin to give cereals, root vegetables, vitamins. At 1-1.5 months, piglets are transferred to self-feeding, weaned from the sow.

Diseases and their treatment

He alth problems in piglets occur when the rules of keeping are violated. The most common disease of the breed is atrophic rhinitis. The disease is recognized by its characteristic symptoms:

• sneezing, snorting, wheezing;
• teary;
• redness of the whites of the eyes;
• discharge from the nostrils.

Animals recover quickly, but lose weight when sick. The same symptoms occur with bronchial pneumonia, it is treated with medication by veterinarians. Livestock breeders cope with atrophic rhinitis on their own: the nostrils are cleaned of crusts, washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, an antibiotic is instilled, the nasal passages are lubricated with petroleum jelly, piglets are inhaled with turpentine, ichthyol.

Prospects for breeding in Russia

On the territory of Russia there are few farms engaged in breeding Duroc pigs, so it is difficult to find and buy piglets of this breed. Farmers raise breeding pigs for their needs, improve the quality of their livestock by crossing other breeds with Duroc.

You can buy a purebred pig at specialized complexes. Its origin must be confirmed by an appropriate certificate. Piglets are sold for $20, breeding pigs for $200.

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